The release of Sarah J. Maas' 6th 'ACOTAR' book is just weeks away. Here's everything we know.

Sarah J. Maas fans, gather round. We finally know what’s coming in the “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series (sort of).

On August 17, 2026, Maas announced the titles of the sixth and seventh “ACOTAR” books, along with initial descriptions of the novels. Book six is called “A Court of Splintered Harmony” and will be released on October 27, 2026, and book seven is “A Court of Forgotten Melody,” hitting shelves on January 12, 2027.

Maas first announced she would publish the sixth and seventh installments of her series in March 2026, remaining tight-lipped about them until the title announcement in August.

The books are eagerly awaited not only by fans but also by Maas’ publisher, Bloomsbury. The company’s sales fell 10% for the 2025-2026 fiscal year because Maas didn’t release a new book, Publishers Weekly reported.

And in recent weeks, Bloomsbury has been sharing quotes from “A Court of Splintered Harmony” on social media, building hype for the novel and teasing what’s to come.

Here’s everything we know about “ACOTAR” six so far.

Warning: Some spoilers for Maas’ work — including “ACOTAR” and “Crescent City” — ahead.

Maas is releasing the sixth ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ story in multiple volumes

In March 2023, Bloomsbury announced that Maas had signed a deal for three more books with the publisher. At the time, she was already under contract for four titles, including “House of Flame and Shadow,” the third installment in her “Crescent City” series, published in January 2024. Readers didn’t find out what the next book she would write would be until her March 2026 appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast with Alex Cooper.

She told Cooper she finished the sixth “ACOTAR” book while writing in Montana over the summer of 2025, but she didn’t share details about it because of its nontraditional release structure.

“This book’s coming out October 27, and then on January 12, like two months later, I can’t do math, whatever that is, the next ACOTAR book will be coming out,” Maas said. “So there will be two books within, like, a very short span.”

As her fans will know, Maas’ books are typically split into parts, separating different sections of the story she is telling. However, when it comes to the sixth “ACOTAR” story, Maas said the individual parts became longer than she anticipated as she started writing, with part one coming in at 400 pages at one point.

As she continued writing, Maas decided the parts didn’t have to be in a single physical book.

“What if this book was really long?” she said. “What if it took me more than a thousand pages to tell the story that needed to be told, the arc that I wanted to create from start to finish?”

Maas said the story for “ACOTAR” six was ultimately divided into four parts, though it is still one cohesive story. Part one is the novel Bloomsbury will publish on October 27, 2026, and parts two and three will be published together on January 12, 2027. Maas has yet to write or give a publication date for part four, but she told Cooper all three volumes would be published “in a very short time.”

“It’s meant to be read, ideally, as one massive, massive story as opposed to in a trilogy,” she said. “It’s not a trilogy. Like, arcs aren’t wrapped up.”

Maas finally shared some details about the books in August 2026

On August 16, Maas cleared her Instagram of all its posts, changing her profile photo to a black-and-white illustration of a monster and a spider. Then, on August 17, she shared the covers and titles of books six, “A Court of Splintered Harmony,” and seven, “A Court of Forgotten Melody,” on her wiped Instagram.

The “Splintered Harmony” cover features a pink-and-orange backdrop with a sketched drawing of a monster with teeth and bones, and the subtitle is “The Valkyrie Cycle: Movement I.” The Valkyrie were introduced to “ACOTAR” in “A Court of Silver Flames,” when Nesta Archeron brought the legendary all-female fighting squad back to life alongside her friends Gwyn and Emerie.

Maas posted the book alongside the tagline, “What was broken will be remade.” The blurb shared on booksellers’ websites reveals that the Night Court is facing new threats when book six opens: Koschei the Deathless, one of three legendary monster siblings introduced throughout “ACOTAR,” and those willing to ally with him to claim the newly freed human lands.

The description also notes that there is tension among the members of the Night Court because of “recent betrayals and revealed truths,” which they must work through if they want to defeat Koschei.

“A Court of Splintered Harmony” will be 352 pages and will include three bonus chapters from the “ACOTAR” series. Those bonus chapters were previously published in specific editions of Maas’ novels, but they will be in all copies of “ACOSH,” as the publisher shared on its social media on September 24. One chapter focuses on Feyre and Rhysand, one on Cassian and Nesta, and one on Azriel’s experience on the Winter Solstice that takes place in “A Court of Silver Flames.”

Teasers from the new book

In mid-September, Bloomsbury began sharing quotes from “A Court of Splintered Harmony,” offering more insight into the novel than the vague blurbs.

The first quote Bloomsbury released on September 17 revealed that at least some of the novel will be told from Lucien Vanserra’s perspective.

“Lucien’s heart thundered, throat drying out,” the quote read. “Maybe this had been a terrible idea.”

Lucien has only played a supporting role in the “ACOTAR” books so far, but Maas has been teeing up his expanded role in her books through his unaccepted mating bond with Elain Archeron, Feyre’s middle sister, and his connection to Koschei. He serves as an emissary to the human lands for the Night Court in “ACOSF,” alongside Jurian and Vassa, a human queen who was sold to Koschei and cursed to turn into a firebird each day. It would be surprising if Vassa — and by extension Lucien — weren’t involved in fighting against Koschei in book six.

No other quote shared by Bloomsbury so far has made clear which character is telling the story. The passage shared on October 6 mentions Rhysand, whom the narrator calls Rhys — indicating it could be the POV of one of his close companions — giving a “savage smile” before saying, “With pleasure.”

A quote shared on September 22 referenced “sisters lost to us — ones we pray each day will find a way home to our sides.”

That might refer to the original Valkyrie, many of whom died in the first war against Hybern. Gwyn, whose own sister was killed by Hybern soldiers, had started writing a chapter for a book about the new Valkyrie in “ACOSF,” so it’s possible the quote is from her book. However, Rhysand’s sister was killed by Tamlin’s father and brothers, so the quote could connect to her as well.

A teaser shared on October 1 confirmed that a female character will tell some of the story, saying, “Like hell would she allow this creature to bring her to her knees again.”

There are several female characters the quote could be attributed to, though some fans think it may be from Vassa when she must face Koschei again.

And most interestingly, the quote shared on September 28 asks if it is “possible for mates to…un-mate” if a bond were to “fracture deeply enough” that it cannot be repaired.

Lucien and Elain’s mating bond is strained because Elain has yet to accept it, so some fans think the comment is about them. At the end of “House of Flame and Shadow,” though, Nesta and Cassian were at odds, so others think the quote hints at tension between the pair (more on that in a minute).

More clues about ‘ACOTAR’ 6 narrators

The quote shared by Bloomsbury confirmed Lucien will have a POV in the story, and the publisher previously hinted at his involvement in its “ACOTAR Autumn Equinox” digital kit on its website. The kit outlines how to throw an Autumn Equinox-themed release party for “Splintered Harmony,” including recipes, discussion questions, and games readers can play together.

The whole guide is themed on autumn, but there is also a nod to Azriel, the Night Court spymaster, in the guide, including a “Shadowsinger Spritz,” so he may tell some of the story as well.

It’s also likely safe to assume Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie will be central to Maas’ new books since the novels are part of “The Valkyrie Cycle.”

The first four books were told from the perspective of Feyre Archeron, while Maas ushered in a new era of the series by writing from Nesta’s perspective in “A Court of Silver Flames,” which was released in 2021.

The “recent betrayals and revealed truths” mentioned in the description of “A Court of Splintered Harmony” could refer to Nesta’s actions in “House of Flame and Shadow” from Maas’ “Crescent City” series. Specifically, the “revealed truths” may reference the resurrection of the long-forgotten Dusk Court in Prythian, which they discover Rhysand is an heir to, while the “recent betrayal” against the Night Court could be Nesta’s lending the Mask of the Dread Trove to Bryce Quinlan, the “Crescent City” protagonist, without Rhysand and Feyre’s permission.

Bryce also gave Nesta the sword Gwydion at the end of “HOFAS,” telling her she thinks she was meant to have it when she returns the Mask. Nesta shared with Bryce in the same scene that Cassian is the most upset with her of everyone for her actions.

It seems Maas was setting up a continuation of Nesta’s story for her next “ACOTAR” story in the scene, which may see her explore her power and connections to the fae of the Dusk Court.

You can read a more detailed breakdown of what to remember from Maas’ previous works ahead of “ACOTAR” six here.

Elain’s role in future ‘ACOTAR’ books

Although it seems like Nesta and her fellow Valkyrie will be important in the new novels, Maas told Eva Chen during an appearance on “Live Talks Los Angeles” in February 2021 that she planned to write a book from the third Archeron sister’s perspective — Elain.

In “A Court of Silver Flames,” Elain had settled into life at the Night Court, refusing to explore her mating bond with Lucien or her Seer powers.

Maas also spoke to Cooper about Elain and Lucien’s mating bond, telling her that Lucien’s involvement in bringing Elain to the fae world is a barrier to their relationship. She also said she was “interested” as a writer in exploring what it meant for someone not to desire to be mated.

Elain also seems to have an attraction to Azriel in the text, with the pair almost kissing in his bonus chapter. However, Maas juxtaposes their connection with the ill-fitting aspects of life at the Night Court for Elain during a visit to the Court of Nightmares in “ACOSF.”